Thinking the unthinkable

That is the question faced by civil and emergency leaders responsible for marshalling the Home Front against any repercussions from military strikes against Iraq.

Key authorities across Sussex are being placed on a war footing, with some experts predicting the declaration of hostilities within a week.

Councils, police and the fire service are stepping up their contingency measures to deal with any reprisal raids on Britain.

They are also having to prepare to look after any British casualties brought home from action in the Gulf, particularly with Gatwick nearby.

A 42,000-strong force has been committed to the Gulf and Chancellor Gordon Brown has earmarked a £1.75 billion war chest.

Brighton and Hove City Council has been drawing up renewed contingency plans over the past six months.

Philip De Leon, Brighton and Hove's emergency planning manager, said: "The worst scenario we've considered in the past is a plane falling on the Brighton Centre.

"You would probably be looking at a maximum of 1,000 people affected. In the current climate, that would just be the starting figure.

"We are in a different world now. We are doing our level best to make sure all our bricks are in place in the wall but we will always keep working on it."

Mr De Leon estimated he could call upon about 20 per cent of the council's manpower to help in some way.

He said a few members of staff had been called up to serve with the Territorial Army but not as many as he expected.

In the event of a biological or chemical attack, lead roles would be taken by Sussex Police, the fire service and the NHS to co-ordinate mass evacuation and decontamination.

Ken Jones, Chief Constable of Sussex Police, would be responsible for the deployment of the military if terrorists struck in Sussex.

Councils such as Brighton and Hove, West Sussex and East Sussex would be charged with providing back-up support outside the cordoned-off areas.

A total of 360 mobile decontamination units and 7,250 personal protection suits are being issued to the UK's accident and emergency services.

The Government will also double the number of protective suits available to firefighters to tackle a chemical attack or "dirty" bomb.

Eighty new vehicles will move 190 decontamination units around the country, which can each shower 200 people per hour.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Alexandra Hospital in Haywards Heath have each taken on one of the units, described as looking like "inflatable tents."

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust has also ordered chemical protection suits as part of the extra precautions.

Trust spokesman Ian Keeber said: "We have always had emergency procedures ready for major incidents but we now consider the threat of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contamination."

Hospital staff would co-ordinate decontamination measures, in liaison with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, Wiltshire.

Strategies for moving staff around, cancelling operations and closing the outpatients departments are kept under constant review.

The Porton Down MOD base would also provide the guidance if anyone came to the hospital reporting a smallpox infection.

Mr Keeber said: "Clearly if there was a direct hit on Brighton, I suspect all services would be as taxed as they were in New York on September 11.

"I don't think you can ever fully prepare for something that catastrophic but we are doing what we think is appropriate."

Hospitals with burns units such as the Queen Victoria in East Grinstead are also awaiting new instructions to cope with attacks.

Spokeswoman Cathy Buss said: "We keep our major incident plan under constant review and carry out annual exercises.

"We are obviously watching for national guidance and are linked in with the strategic health authority."

Health providers will also be expected to ensure they look after the injured, whether they are casualties from the front or terrorist victims back home.

Mr Keeber said: "Common sense says Gatwick is likely to be used and the Princess Royal and the Royal Sussex are large acute hospitals nearby.

"But if this pans out similar to the last Gulf War, there are enough receiving hospitals and it is unlikely we would have to take more than a small number of casualties every few weeks."

An East Sussex County Council spokesman advised people to keep watch for emergency announcements likely to be broadcast by the Government in any disaster scenarios.

He said: "For two years now, the council has been working with the emergency services and health authorities to ensure emergency arrangements cater for the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat posed by terrorists.

"As a result of this work, plans have been reviewed and modified and appropriate personnel trained."

Home secretary David Blunkett this week revealed 14 new military Civil Contingency Reaction Forces (CCRFs) would be in place by the end of the year.

Each would be based on a Territorial Army infantry battalion, with Army division and brigade headquarters liaising with emergency services and local authorities.

About 7,000 voluntary reservists would make up the CCRFs.

The first major test of whether Britain is prepared for a terrorist attack will be a simulation of a chemical weapons incident on the London Underground on March 23.

But John Williams, head of emergency planning at West Sussex County Council, tried to downplay fears of Sussex bearing the brunt of any reprisals.

He said: "The Government has targeted resources in London and other centres of population. As far as they, and we, are concerned there seems very little likelihood of shire counties being potential terrorist targets.

"The Americans have caused a lot of unnecessary panic by advising people to buy four days' worth of supplies or to use duct tape to seal their windows."

He anticipated the use of Gatwick to transport British casualties would require the county council to help accommodate friends and relatives.

A spokeswoman for BAA Gatwick said it had already introduced extra police patrols and stricter security checks.